Archaeologists have employed artificial intelligence to decode the 4,000-year-old inscriptions on ancient Babylonian cuneiform tablets, which had eluded understanding for over fifty years.
The tablets, unearthed in the city of Sippar (now within modern Iraq), date back approximately three thousand years. Following their discovery, they were housed in the British Museum. AI decryption has revealed that the ancient Babylonians viewed lunar eclipses as more than mere celestial occurrences; they saw them as dire omens that foretold death and devastation.
One of the tablets notes that “an eclipse during the morning watch” means “the end of the dynasty.”
“If the eclipse spreads from the center, and then immediately stops, the king will die, Elam will collapse,” says another ominous prediction.
“An eclipse in the evening watch means pestilence,” says another. “If the eclipse does not happen as it should, the global flood will occur everywhere and no one will be saved.”
The exact meaning of the astrologer’s reference to an eclipse being “not as it should” is ambiguous, but it is hypothesized to describe a scenario where the moon’s disk moves in an unexpected direction.
Additionally, the tablets describe rituals involving animal intestines, believed to verify ominous signs and assess if the king faces genuine peril.
Researchers have clarified that these tablets compile over 60 omens, which are interpretations based on the timing and nature of lunar eclipses. These omens are thought to foretell the future, often indicating misfortune or calamity.
“Predictions are fascinating as they reveal insights into the psychology of governance. Typically, omens foretell calamities like assassination, coup d’état, revolt, outrage, military defeat, territorial loss, epidemic, starvation, aridity, agricultural collapse, and locust swarms, among others. Clearly, these concerns were paramount for the Babylonian monarchs,” according to scientists.
The Independent reports that the Mesopotamian civilization emerged in the region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, now encompassing modern Iraq, northeastern Syria, and southeastern Turkey.
It is intriguing that numerous cataclysms have been linked to eclipses. For instance, Princess Diana passed away on August 31, 1997, precisely one day after a solar eclipse occurred. Similarly, the Tunguska meteorite impact happened merely two days following a solar eclipse.
The 1917 revolution is often linked with eclipses, as that year witnessed two solar eclipses, on January 23 and June 19. The coups started in February, and by July, Russians were anticipating a power crisis and the rise of the Bolsheviks.
The Titanic’s sinking is also tied to eclipses; a total lunar eclipse occurred on the day the ship was launched, followed by a solar eclipse two days after the disaster.
Prior to the catastrophic event at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant on April 26, 1986, there were two eclipses: a solar eclipse on April 9 and a lunar eclipse on April 24.
There is a belief that certain eclipses can significantly impact leaders, leading to serious consequences from these astronomical events. Additionally, this year will feature two more eclipses: a lunar eclipse on September 18 and a solar eclipse on October 2.
